Death toll in Istanbul bombings rises to 44: health minister

Reuters Staff

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Turkish police officers carry a coffin of a fellow officer during a ceremony for police officers killed in Saturday's blasts in Istanbul, Turkey, December 11, 2016.Murad Sezer

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The death toll from Saturday night's twin bombings in Istanbul has risen to 44, of whom 36 were police officers, Health Minister Recep Akdag was cited as saying by state-run Anadolu agency and other media on Monday.

An offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group claimed responsibility for the bombings outside an Istanbul soccer stadium, which also wounded around 150 people. The death toll was previously said to be 38.